What we learned: Raiders convene to better Chargers in OT

The Raiders (7-8) came from behind to emerge with a 23-20 overtime feat contra a San Diego Chargers (4-11) in a Christmas Eve diversion that could be a final ever played in Oakland’s O.co Coliseum. Here’s what we need to know:

1. Raiders linebacker Malcolm Smith forced a David Johnson fail that Benson Mayowa returned to a doorstep of a finish zone, heading directly to Michael Crabtree’s go-ahead touchdown late in a fourth quarter. It was a play of a game, occurring one array after a craziest method of a night. A fourth-and-25 Khalil Mack defensive holding chastisement wiped Josh Lambo’s 53-yard field-goal off a scoreboard. Given a giveaway initial down, Philip Rivers found Ladarius Green for a 30-yard touchdown on a subsequent play. The NFL’s absurd locate order proceeded to behind a nauseous conduct when a replay examination central over-scrutinized a play and ruled it incomplete. A few plays later, Lambo missed a field-goal try from 5 yards closer than a strange kick. Green’s overturned touchdown would have given a Chargers a 24-12 lead. Instead, they led by usually 5 during a time of Johnson’s fumble.

Philip Rivers answered Crabtree’s measure with a game-tying field-goal drive, promulgation a hitch into overtime. Rivers had no answer for Sebastian Janikowski’s 31-yard margin goal, though, unwell to modify a fourth down on a Chargers’ initial array of a additional frame.

2. This was widely billed as a relocation bowl, with a dual owners attempting to pierce their teams out of San Diego and Oakland. Nothing is central yet, though a Raiders, Chargers and Rams are all approaching to request subsequent month for a right to immigrate to a Los Angeles area. If this ends adult as a final diversion in Oakland, it will symbol a finish of an era. The Coliseum is a final of a multi-purpose stadiums that dotted a NFL landscape in a decades heading adult to a spin of a century. NFL players can’t wait to contend goodbye to a mud infield forever.

3. Offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave hinted progressing this week that timid reserve Charles Woodson competence get a possibility to play far-reaching receiver in a destiny Hall of Famer’s “Black Hole” sendoff. The ideal event never came about, expected given a Raiders were personification from behind for 55 minutes. Woodson did get one shot to play a hero, however, entering a diversion for a red-zone tool play on a initial expostulate of overtime. He was eventually tackled for an anti-climatic 3-yard detriment on a retreat designed for him to chuck a winning touchdown.

Woodson addressed a throng after a game, revelation Raider Nation: “You welcomed me behind with open arms as if we never left. we usually wish to let we know how many that means to me and my family. It’s been a fun for me to come behind here and play for a second time around.”

In associated news, owners Mark Davis has told Woodson that he can come behind and work for a Raiders classification during any time in any ability he wants, NFL Media’s Steve Wyche reported before a game.

4. Derek Carr has reverted to rookie-season form over a past 3 weeks. The far-reaching receiver contingent of Amari Cooper, Michael Crabtree and Seth Roberts sum for a grand sum of disastrous 10 yards during halftime. The Raiders’ sole initial down of a second half was Crabtree’s 3-yard touchdown. Beyond a miss of production, Carr took a bad pouch that sabotaged a expostulate entering halftime and committed conscious education to frustrate a Raiders’ chances of a successful one-minute cavalcade to finish a diversion in regulation.

5. The Chargers positively haven’t quit on manager Mike McCoy. In fact, a invulnerability has sensitively played a best round of a deteriorate over a past month, with rookie inside linebacker Denzel Perryman rising as a iota player. Melvin Ingram and Jeremiah Attaochu have finally satisfied their intensity as San Diego’s many effective corner rushing tandem given Shawne Merriman and Shaun Phillips scarcely a decade ago.

The injury-ravaged invulnerability deserved a improved predestine Thursday night. The best dual players in a secondary, reserve Eric Weddle (groin) and cornerback Jason Verrett (hamstring), left a diversion with injuries early in a third quarter, shortly to be assimilated on a sideline by reserve Darrell Stuckey (knee) and No. 2 cornerback Patrick Robinson. The Bolts were in such apocalyptic straits that far-reaching receiver Dontrelle Inman was forced to play cornerback with a diversion on a line in overtime.

6. Janikowski not usually converted a winning margin goal, though also tied former Lions kicker Jason Hanson’s record for many margin goals over 50 yards (52). He wasn’t alone on special teams. Marquette King forsaken 6 punts inside a 20-yard line, a many by any Raiders punter since during slightest 1976.